ecl@ahuta.UUCP (ecl) (01/24/85)
TRIAL BY COMBAT/DIRTY KNIGHT'S WORK/A CHOICE OF WEAPONS
(and a plug for KNIGHTRIDERS)
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
You know when a film has had three titles that somebody has had trouble
getting an audience for it. This film has an interesting cast but it is
really just a bit of fluff. It is much like STAR CHAMBER done in the styles
of an AVENGERS episode. The Knights of Avalon, a sort of Society for
Creative Anachronism, works hand in mailed glove with the police. Criminals
who cannot be convicted by the police are kidnapped and forced to take part
in a medieval trial by combat. Of course, the Knights also kill some
innocent people juts so the audience doesn't forget which side to root for.
The film stars David Birney, John Mills, Donald Pleasence, Barbara Hershey,
Peter Cushing, and Brian Glover. (Who's Glover? You've probably seen him
without knowing him. In AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON he was the
unfriendly villager who tells the airplane joke.) The combat scenes are not
very convincing. Rate it 0 on the -4 to +4 scale.
If you really want to see medieval knights in a modern context, skip
TRIAL BY COMBAT and see George Romero's KNIGHTRIDERS. Don't confuse
KNIGHTRIDERS with Romero's horror shockers. KNIGHTRIDERS is, in my opinion,
the best thing that Romero ever did. It follows a travelling Renaissance
Fair patterned on King Arthur's realm. Some of Romero's films hint that he
has something to say about American culture. This film says what he has to
say beautifully. Ed Harris stars in a role every bit as memorable as his
John Glenn from THE RIGHT STUFF. In fact, his idealistic image in
KNIGHTRIDERS probably won him the RIGHT STUFF role. Catch this one on cable
if it shows up. Rate it a strong +2 or higher.
(Evelyn C. Leeper for)
Mark R. Leeper
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